Elastic fluid turbine power plant



April 16, 1940. A. ROSCH ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE POWER PLANT Filed Aug. 7, 1939 Irwvencor: Arthur Roach;

His Attorney Patented Apr. 16, 1940 2,197,651

UNITED STATES PATENT orrica ELASTIC FLUH) TURBINE PLANT Arthur Roach, Brielelang, near Nanen, Germany,

aasignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application August I, 1989, Serial No. 288,887 In Germany November 17, 1938 scam The present inventicm relates to elastic fluid power plants including a turbo generator with the generator operating in parallel with other generators and at times serving to furnish peak load to a line and at other times running idle to act as a synchronous condenser or phase modifier.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved arrangement oi' elastic fluid turbine power plants of the type above specifled whereby such plants may be operated with great economy and high emciency. This is accomplished in accordance with my invention by the provision of two groups of auxiliaries, one group for operation during high load conditions and the other group for operation during no load or low load conditions of the turbine, together with a mechanism for automatically changing operation from one group of auxiliaries to the other in response to a change of operating condition of the turbine.

For a better understanding oi what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto in connection with the accompanying drawing.

The single figure of the drawing shows diagrammatically an elastic fluid turbine power plant embodying my invention.

The arrangement comprises an elastic fluid 30 generator ill for supplying elastic fluid to a main turbine Ii having an inlet valve i2 and connected to receive elastic fluid from the elastic fluid generator iii through a conduit it including a valve 14. The turbine ii is coupled to drive an electric generator I! connected to a power line it in parallel with other generators ii. The generator it normally operates as a phase modifler and during high load condition on the generator I! the generator II serves to supply active load to the line it. The inlet valve 12 of the turbine i i has a valve stem I. connected to and moved by a speed-governing mechanism including a speed governor i8 driven from the shaft of the turbine Ii and causing opening of the valve I! with increasing load of the turbine ii and closing of the valve 12 with decreasing load of the turbine II. In the present instance the valve i2 is near its closing position, permitting the supply of an amount of elastic fluid ii to act as a cooling medium for the turbine and to furnish sumcient load for covering friction losses of the turbo generator II, I.

The turbine ii has an exhaust conduit Ill con nected to a' surface type condenser 2i. For the purpose or operating the condenser two auxiliary (Cl. 29H) sets are provided, a primary set for operation during high load on the turbine ii and a secondary set for operation during low load on the turbine ii. The secondary set includes a circulating pump 22 having a discharge conduit 23 connected to the condenser for circulating cooling medium therethrough. In addition the secondary set includes a condensate pump 24 hav ing an inlet conduit 25 including a check valve 2 for removing condensate from the condenser a conduit 34 including a check valve 35 in parallel with the conduit 23 to circulate cooling medium through the condenser. A similar check valve 36 is provided in the conduit 23, the latter preventing backflow oi cooling medium through the conduit 23 during operation oi the pump II and, vice-versa, the check valve preventing backflow of fluid through the conduit 34 during operation of the circulating pump 22. The primary auxiliary set in addition includes a condensate pump 31 having an inlet conduit 38 inso cluding a check valve 39 connected to receive condensate from the condenser 2i. Finally, the primary auxiliary set includes an ejector pump 40 for removing air and non-condensables from the condenser through a conduit 41 including a 35 check valve 42 and connected to the conduit 3|. The pump is operated by means 01' elastic fluid received from the conduit 13 through a conduit 43 including a valve 44. The pumps 33 and ll of the primary auxiliary set are operated by an 0 auxiliary turbine 45 having an inlet valve 46 for controlling the flow of elastic fluid thereto. The valve is connected to receive live elastic fluid from the conduit 43 through a conduit 41 connected to the conduit 43. The valve 46 is controlled by 45 a speed-governing mechanism including a speed governor 4| driven from the shaft of the turbine 45. The flow or elastic fluid to the auxiliary turbine 45 for driving the primary auxiliaries and the discharge of elastic fluid therefrom is further controlled by means or a valve 49 in the conduit 43 ahead of its connection to the conduit 41 as regards the direction of flow of fluid therethrough and a valve 50 in a conduit 5i connecting the exhaust end of the turbine 45 to the condenser 2i. 68

The pumps 1 The valve 48 also controls the flow of-operating fluid to the ejector 40. Normally, that is, during low load operation of the turbine II the valves 9 and 50 are in closed position as indicated. As load is taken on by the turbine H the valves 49 and 50 are opened. This requires great care by the operator and therefore is efiected preferably automatically. To this end each valve 49, Ed has an arm operated by solenoids 52 and 53 respectively connected in parallel and energized through conductors 54 from aline 55. One of the conductors it includes a contact-making de-- vice or switch 55. In the present instance the device 56 is in open position, the solenoids 52, 53 being deenergized and the valves 49, 50 biased towards closing position by means of springs 58 respectively.

stated before, with the valves 49, 5!) closed, the primary auxiliary set is out of operation, no 0 wting being supplied to the auxiliary turas and to the ejector 65. If now load is thrown onto the eneratol 5, for instance, due to increasing load demand from the generator I l, the speed of the turbine is reduced. The drop speed causes the speed governor to ell'ect open in, movement of the valve 22 to admit more elastic the turbine E and this opening movement of the valve stem it causes closing of the contact-making device 56, thus energizing the circuit for the solenoids 52? and 53 and causing opening of the valves 15, 58 against the biasing forces of the springs 57 and 58 respectively. Elastic fluid is now supplied to the auxiliary turbine M to operate the primary auxiliary pumps 33 and and also to the ejector 48. The motor 32 for dziidng the secondary auxiliary set may then be disconnected.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Elastic fluid turbine power plant including a turbine, a condenser connected to the exhaust end of the turbine, at primary and a. secondary auxiliary set for operating the condenser, and means automatically connecting one set and disconnecting the other in response to a predetermined change of the load condition of the turbine.

2. Elastic fluid turbine power plant including a turbine, an electric generator driven by the turbine to act at times as a phase modifier and at other times to supply peak load, a surface type condenser connected to receive exhaust from the turbine, auxiliaries for circulating cooling medium through the condensers and for removing condensate and non-condensablesfrom the condenser, said auxiliaries comprising a primary set for operation during peak load conditions of the generator and a secondary set for operation while the generator operates as a phase modifier, and means for automatically putting the primary set in operation as load is thrown on the turbine comprising a contactmaking device moved in response to speed change of the turbine.

3. Elastic fluid turbine power plant including a main turbine with an inlet valve, an electric generator driven by the turbine to act at times as a phase modifier and at other times to supply peak load, a surface type condenser connected to receive exhaust from the turbine, auxiliaries for circulating cooling medium through the condensand for removing condensate and non-condensabies from the condenser, said auxiliaries comprising a primary set for operation during peel: load conditions of the generator and a secondary set for operation while the generator operates as a phase modifier, the primary set including an elastic fluid turbine and an elastic fluid operated ejector, a conduit for supplying elastic fluid to the auxiliary turbine and the ejector, an exhaust conduit for the turbines connected to the main condenser, a valve in each of said conduits, means biasing the valves towards closing position during operation of the main turbine as phase modifier, and electric means automatically moving the valves into opening position to effect operation of the auxiliary turbine and the ejector, said electric means including an electric circuit having a contactor closed in response to a predetermined movement of the inlet valve.

ARTHUR ROSCH. 

